Career Center

The City of Champaign seeks experienced candidates for the position of Assistant City Attorney in the Legal Department.  In this position, you will join an in-house legal team that works closely with all City Departments in a wide variety of areas.  The City has a Council-Manager form of government.

Responsibilities of Position

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to: advising government officials regarding areas of local government law including: Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and Open Meetings Act (OMA); managing, evaluating, and litigating cases, including ordinance enforcement, small claims, workers’ compensation, and civil rights defense; evaluating and preparing written legal opinions; preparing and reviewing legal documents, including those related to contracts, legislation, real estate, and other areas of municipal regulation; contract development, review, and negotiation, including labor negotiations; real estate transactional work; and supervising or managing employees. 

The annual starting salary range is $99,584 - $113,318, DOQ, plus an excellent fringe benefits package.  Applications, including cover letter (required) and resume (optional), must be submitted online to champaignil.gov/jobs. The position will remain open until filled. 

The City’s mission is to provide responsive, caring, cost-effective service in partnership with our community. The following values guide our work: Personal Integrity, Responsibility, Respect, Teamwork, and Results. The City of Champaign is committed to promoting a work environment and a community that values and supports diversity and inclusion. The City of Champaign is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Women, minorities, and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

Required Qualifications

• Licensed to practice law in the State of Illinois.
• Superior interpersonal, oral, and written communication skills.
• Legal research expertise.
• Experience in civil or criminal practice areas.

Preferred Qualifications

• Substantial experience in government law at the state, federal, or local level.
• Legal experience in a broad range of civil areas.
• Transactional skills in negotiating and drafting of contracts. 
• Broad range of skills in real estate, development, and eminent domain. 
• Experience in ordinance prosecution and/or other high volume litigation areas (e.g., collections, criminal).
• Experience with building safety/code compliance prosecution or defense.
• Litigation experience including civil or administrative litigation (including workers’ compensation and civil appeals). 
• In-house legal experience.

Drug screening and criminal background check will be required.

About City of Champaign

The City of Champaign. Proud of our Diverse Community! The City of Champaign, Illinois, is a progressive, vibrant, and diverse community of 88,000 residents conveniently located at the convergence of three Interstates with Chicago, Indianapolis, and St. Louis all within a short 2.5-hour drive. Home to the University of Illinois, our micro-urban community boasts a growing economy built on award-winning and innovative education, medical, research, technology, and manufacturing. Champaign is a family-friendly community filled with beautiful parks, diverse cultural opportunities, thriving Downtown and Campustown districts, affordable housing, and a stellar public library. With more than 500 employees, the City of Champaign offers great career opportunities for caring individuals who are dedicated to providing excellent customer service to our residents. As a member of the City’s team, you will have the opportunity to transform how people live, work, and play in our wonderful community.

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